Although Nakajima was perfectly fine and jumped out of his FW31, the position of the car was awkward and debris was strewn across across the tarmac. The safety car was deployed and remained out for six laps while the race order was sorted behind. Interestingly, while the cars were feeding past, Felipe Massa was seen gesturing to Bernd Maylander, suggesting that Massa wasn’t sure if he should be passing or not.

As the safety car came back in, the tyre temperatures were reduced as were brakes. Jenson Button made a good restart, but Nelson Piquet Jr., who was being challenged by Nico Rosberg, touched his brake pedal going into the first corner and spun off. Piquet complained of brake failure.

On lap 47, Felipe Massa was seen coasting around the back of the track, his Ferrari seemingly given up. The Brazilian retired from the race although it is currently unknown what exactly happened to the F60. Clearly though, reliability is an issue for the Scuderia. Kimi Raikkonen did have a spin just rior to Massa’s retirement and swiped the barrier, although the Finn managed to gather it all together and continue.

Original article by BlogF1.

Australia 2009: Second Drivers Struggle At Albert Park

Despite not setting the track alight on the first day of his final test, Heikki Kovalainen was buoyed by the improvements made to the McLaren MP4-24. Previously, team mate Lewis Hamilton appeared to struggle in the 79s bracket, encouraging the wagging of tongues up and down the pitlane as well as in the media. The problems that are apparently facing McLaren so late in the build up to the season is certainly the talking point of the moment.

By Thursday though, the squad had found something that worked on the modifications made to the car and the young Finn finally looked to be on top of the machine. Kovalainen lapped the Jerez circuit 85 times on Wednesday, and 84 times earlier today.

Kazuki Nakajima followed suit almost identically to his rival. Wednesday saw little in the way of pace, but by Thursday the Japanese driver was on top of his car, the Williams FW31, and Kazuki finished the day ahead of Kovalainen.

Without other teams on track it is still very hard to judge the pace of these two machines, and the improvement in times that both drivers saw may be very easily put down to improvements in track conditions more than anything else. They could both be lapping in the midfield, they could both be up there with Ferrari having found something great in the final two days. To put it simply, we just don’t know. At times, Williams and McLaren have looked strong, although in recent group tests, they have looked mediocre at best.

Jerez Test Day Four Results Table		Lap Time Fastest Time Set	Laps Set Number Laps Set
1.	Heikki Kovalainen McLaren	1m18.202s	85 Laps
2.	Kazuki Nakajima Williams	1m20.023s	103 Laps
Jerez Test Day Five Results Table
1.	Kazuki Nakajima Williams	1m17.494s	102 Laps
2.	Heikki Kovalainen McLaren	1m17.946s	84 Laps

Original article by BlogF1.

Jerez Test Days Four & Five: Kovalainen & Nakajima Share Fastest Laps

It all started so well with Nico Rosberg taking a podium in Melbourne with an encouraging third place. From seventh on the grid the Williams FW30 looked pretty nimble without traction control and in the maturing hands of Rosberg, pundits up and down the pitlane took note of the new car’s performance. The following weekend though, the team had perhaps shown the truer pace, with Rosberg barely getting into Q2 and team mate Kazuki Nakajima failing to get out of Q1, qualifying in sixteenth before having a ten grid-slot penalty applied, sending the rookie to the very back.

Bahrain went better though, and Nico managed eighth on the grid and race, while Kazuki continued to lap a few tenths back. Despite claiming one point from the race and one fourteenth place, the reliability of the FW30 had been flawless, with six finishes from the six individual performances. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t last and at Circuit de Catalunya for the Spanish Grand Prix, Rosberg chalked up the team’s first non-finish of the campaign. The consolation prize though was a confidence-boosting seventh for Nakajima.

In Turkey, the roles were reversed and Nakajima suffered a non-finish while Rosberg collected a point for the team. And in Monaco, once again the fortunes of the team mates swapped as Rosberg had a fairly sizeable impact with the barrier during a saturated grand prix. To his credit though, Nakjaima raced well in the tricky conditions and the Japanese driver brought his car home in seventh, repeating his efforts from Spain the month previous.

So the start of the season for Williams was very up and down. The car, it seemed, had pace and could finish in the lower end of the points fairly regularly. Nico Rosberg was driving quite well and Kazuki Nakajima was surprisingly mature at times when it really mattered. Everything looked good for a decent year of racing from the privateer squad – morale was high in the Grove camp.

Williams had scored 15 points from the first six races, visited the podium once and got one car through to Q3 on three times. It wasn’t to last though, and soon it became clear that the difference between the well funded Toyota team and their customer became all too clear. In 2007, Williams embarrassed their engine supplier by finishing ahead of them in the championship, 33 points to a measly 13. By the end of the 2008 Monaco Grand Prix, Williams had 15 to Toyota’s 10. It was about to unravel itself though…

In Canada, Rosberg put in his best qualifying effort of all season, landing fifth place on the grid for the race. His race started well and Rosberg was looking pretty mighty. With desperately unfortunate luck though, the German pilot followed Lewis Hamilton into the pile-up that ensued at the end of the pitlane during a safety car period. The incident ended Hamilton’s and innocent victim Kimi Raikkonen’s race, but Rosberg was able to keep his car running, although with a damaged front wing. An extra stop the following lap to have the damaged part replaced, Rosberg was no longer in any kind contention for points, and team mate Nakajima suffered a similar fate after clouting the back of a Honda.

The French Grand Prix was a disaster, the British event better. In fact, the British Grand Prix went so well for the team it was their second best result of the year, their third overall. And eighth and ninth place finish signalled a slight improvement, but the weather almost certainly played a small part in this result.

Rosberg managed a point around the Valencia port, and despite showing great speed in the tricky conditions experienced at Monaco and Silverstone, the Belgian and Italian Grands Prix were raced with little result. Rosberg equalled his best qualifying effort of the campaign in Italy, but could only claim fourteenth by the time the chequered flag fell.

In Singapore, Rosberg demonstrated his maturity and for the final time this season the German driver stepped onto the podium. This time Rosberg was celebrating second, and Nakajima with an eighth place finish. Not only was it a good result on the Sunday, but for the first time this year, both drivers had managed to get into the third qualifying phase.

After that great result though, Williams just blended into the background, Rosberg taking 11th, 15th and 12th in the final trio of races, Nakajima fairing no better with 15th, 12th, 17th. By the end of the final race, Williams had collected just 10 points since the Monaco race.

A total haul of 26 points for the team puts them down on their 2007 tally (33), but the improved competitiveness of the field meant it was harder for all the teams to score massive points. Ferrari won the constructors title again, but they were 32 points down on their ‘07 total.

Rosberg’s two podiums were great, and to see Nakajima develop as the season progressed was fantastic to witness. On the whole, both drivers did well this year, and at times you could see the frustration of having a car simply not capable of challenging those ahead of them. Part of the problem for the FW30 was the fact that Williams have concentrated their efforts on 2009 very early, thus slowing development of the ‘08 car.

Having both drivers continue to next season though will be good for Frank and Patrick’s squad, and they really are ahead on developing many vital parts for next season, then hopefully they will be able to maintain development throughout the season and enjoy podium visits on a more regular basis.

Williams 2008 Championship Results	Nico Rosberg (Grid) Race	Kazuki Nakajima (Grid) Race
Australian Grand Prix Albert Park	(7) 3	(14) 6
Malaysian Grand Prix Sepang	(16) 14	(22) 17
Bahrain Grand Prix Sakhir	(8) 8	(16) 14
Spanish Grand Prix Circuit de Catalunya	(15) RET	(12) 7
Turkish Grand Prix Istanbul Park	(11) 8	(16) RET
Monaco Grand Prix Monte Carlo	(6) RET	(14) 7
Canadian Grand Prix Circuit Gilles Villeneuve	(5) 10	(12) RET
French Grand Prix Magny Cours	(20) 16	(15) 15
British Grand Prix Silverstone	(18) 9	(15) 8
German Grand Prix Hockenheim	(13) 10	(16) 14
Hungarian Grand Prix Hungaroring	(14) 14	(16) 13
European Grand Prix Valencia	(9) 8	(11) 15
Belgian Grand Prix Spa Francorchamps	(15) 12	(19) 14
Italian Grand Prix Monza	(5) 14	(18) 12
Singapore Grand Prix Singapore	(8) 2	(10) 8
Japanese Grand Prix Fuji Speedway	(15) 11	(14) 15
Chinese Grand Prix Shanghai	(14) 15	(17) 12
Brazilian Grand Prix Interlagos	(18) 12	(16) 17
Driver’s Championship Position	(17pts) 13th	(9pts) 15th
Constructor’s Championship Position	(26pts) 8th

Recommended Reading

• F12008: Williams Preview
• Williams Have Two Causes For Celebration
• Williams Celebrate Being 500 Races Young
• Kazuki Nakajima Stays At Williams For 2009

Original article by BlogF1.

F12008: An Up & Down Season For Williams

Coulthard has competed in 246 races, making 245 starts in 14 years, has managed 12 pole positions, 13 wins and 535 points, making him the highest points scorers among the British competitors. Coulthard said that had been able to finish the race, he would have performed some donuts, despite the risk of being fined by the FIA. Alas, the Scot’s race came to an early end. We should however see and hear David next season as he is supposedly going to be involved in the BBC broadcasting team.

If I had qualified a bit higher up the grid away from the maybe it would have helped. But no, I took a cautious approach into Turn One, left plenty of room for the car on the inside and then unfortunately Rosberg hit me in Turn Two and spun me around. Then Nakajima and I finished off our crashing love affair, and he took off my front corner.

I felt good in the warm-up laps going to the grid, I had no problem driving in the wet. I wanted to get to the chequered flag and I was going to do some doughnuts for the crowd. But it didn’t work out.

I still can’t complain, I’ve had a good career and thank you to everyone who supported me over the years. David Coulthard.

Farewell Coulthard, hope to see you next year.

Original article by BlogF1.

David Coulthard Retires From Formula One

In his 2007 GP2 season, Kazuki Nakajima made a bit of a name for himself, although it was a name based on hit-and-miss results. However, at the age of 22, Nakajima was asked by Williams to step-up to the plate and take over from Alex Wurz in the final round of the 2007 championship in Brazil. This he did, and despite knocking over a mechanic in his very first Formula One pitstop, Kazuki did quite well.

2008 has seen the young driver mature some more, and until team mate Nico Rosberg claimed his second podium of the year in Singapore, the pair were on nine points each. Considering Rosberg has more experience with the sport and the team, and is often said to be something special, that says a lot about Nakajima. Both drivers are also equal on retirements, each having their race end early on two occasions.

Nico Rosberg continues to be one of the most capable drivers in the sport. Kazuki is getting stronger all the time and has more to offer and Nico Hulkenberg is developing well. Frank Williams.

Combining the final race positions of each driver during the 2008 season thus far, we can see that Rosberg has a total of 128, which averaged out into the 13 races he has finished means Nico tends to finish around the 9.8 position. For Nakajima, his total thus far is 150, which averages out to 11.5. Considering the difference in experience, I think Nakajima has done well this year and deserves another chance in the car. Here’s hoping Williams can build a blinder.

Original article by BlogF1.

Kazuki Nakajima Stays At Williams For 2009

The last time a Briton won at Silverstone was in 2000, that year the race went to David Coulthard. Hamilton has now become the eleventh (twelfth if you rightly include Tony Brooks) British winner of the British Grand Prix and it was the McLaren driver’s seventh victory in Formula One; the team’s 159th.

It is definitely and by far the best victory I’ve ever had. It was one of the toughest races I have ever done. I was thinking out there if I win it it will be the best race I have ever done, not just because of the home crowd.

On the last laps I could see the crowd starting standing up, and I was praying, praying ‘just finish’. You can imagine the emotions going on inside and I wanted to get it around. Lewis Hamilton.

Nick Heidfeld has been suffering in qualifying lately and the German driver has been complaining of temperature problems with his Bridgestone tyres. However, yesterday Heidfeld put his BMW in fifth and today he brought it home in second, consoling the team after team mate Robert Kubica retired.

It was a good race. I am happy with second place because today it was the best I could achieve. Qualifying went well and in the race we did everything right. Obviously it was crucial to make the right tyre decisions.

At the first stop we were wondering if we should stay with the used set of inters, but luckily we then decided on new tyres. We were expecting a small shower, but when I drove down Hanger Straight and saw a black wall in front of me I thought I should expect more than that.

The most difficult moments in the race were when cars were overtaking me who had been lapped, but were just on better tyres for the conditions at that time. There was so much water and I couldn’t see where it was lying. Once before Abbey I almost spun, but just managed to keep the car on the track. Nick Heidfeld.

Rubens Barrichello gave Honda something to shout about as the most experienced driver in Formula One finished in third after starting the race in sixteenth. Barrichello drove a mature and outstanding race and for me, is the driver of the day. While Lewis won, he had the car underneath him to do just that, Rubens has a dog under him – his qualifying position proving that. But the Brazilian drove superbly in the difficult conditions and fully-deserves his podium.

I never lost the belief I have in me with the speed and everything. It was obviously a lucky day and it seemed to happen to me. I love the wet weather conditions but it was a perfect race.

We had a minor problem on the pitstop. I thought I had the fuel already but they didn’t let me go. But that was a minor problem because it was the right decision for us to take extreme wet tyres.

I was passing people from inside to outside, it was just magic. So I thought that was a good decision because I went off at Club and nearly hit the wall. It was Club and Abbey that were the most difficult ones. I said I am coming in and coming in for the extremes.

I have this great feeling, it is like I am young. I am smiling to the problems and I am working more. I love the sport, I love the speed and I cannot live without it. Rubens Barrichello.

Ross Brawn, Honda’s team principal, paid tribute to Barrichello’s drive as well, praising his driver and remembering the times they spent at Ferrari together.

Rubens had a great race. He really pushed when he had to, and the middle of the race was fantastic. It was a bit like old days. The team did a great job as well. Some great calls during the race and we had the right tyres at the right time.

We had a problem with the fuel rig which really probably cost us second place, so that’s frustrating, but we shouldn’t be too greedy. Ross Brawn.

David Coulthard, competing in his final British Grand Prix, lasted all of about two minutes. The Red Bull made contact with the Scuderia Toro Rosso and both slid off onto the the grass. It wasn’t Coulthard’s finest moment from his 15 year career, but the Scot put his hand up, accepted blame and apologised.

I’m extremely disappointed and sorry for the team. I’ve taken out two Red Bull cars so that’s obviously the worst case scenario. You have to take your opportunities when they come in a race like this and I thought I saw a gap. Unfortunately it turned out it was a bad decision.

The visibility was incredibly bad as you can imagine. I was very close to Sebastian after Abbey, as he had a wobble coming out of there. There was a clear gap down the inside, but unfortunately it was closing as I made the move.

I’m sorry for him that we made contact and went into the gravel, I’m sorry for Red Bull too, as it was two cars out in one hit. I’m extremely disappointed for this to happen at my last British Grand Prix. David Coulthard.

Coulthard’s team mate, Mark Webber, had a better weekend, the Australian qualifying on the front row. However, his race was almost over sooner than David’s after Webber spun on the opening lap, undoing all his hard work from Saturday. Even though Webber would go on to drive a very well-managed race and reclaim many of the lost positions, it so easily could have been much, much better.

Unfortunately I dropped it on the entrance to Becketts on the first la. I was quite close to Kimi [Raikkonen] and just got on the white line. I lost the car on the exit and had to let the field go past, so it was clear to spin back round.

After that it was about making the right call for the right conditions. It was a difficult day to go car racing and it just didn’t go our way today. The guys did a good job all week and it’s a shame we couldn’t convert our good qualifying performance. Mark Webber.

Fernando Alonso was upbeat after the race, despite losing out for being on the worn tyres rather than getting a new set at the pit stop. The decision cost the Spaniard a lot of time and he may have even lost a podium because of it. However, the conditions at Silverstone were difficult and Alonso was just happy to have added a few points towards his campaign.

Like every time it rains, anything can happen and that was the case. There were times when you had the right tyre and others when you had the wrong one and you had to keep the others at bay and try to stay on track because you knew it would be a good result.

It’s not bad. It’s a good feeling. Sixth position is three points that are good for the drivers’ and the constructors’ championships. We missed a chance because Barrichello finished on the podium and maybe we could have been there, but it’s okay. Fernando Alonso.

On the final lap Kazuki Nakajima lost seventh place to Jarno Trulli, but despite this and all his spins, the Japanese driver still managed to collect one point for Williams after a weekend the team will want to very quickly move on from.

It was good to score a point again, but it was a shame to lose seventh place to Jarno on the last lap. His tyres were in a better condition than mine, though, and he was just a bit quicker than me in the final laps when the track was drying out.

It was enjoyable out there today, although a little hard to control the car in the opening and closing stages. The team made a really good decision to put me on the extreme wets at just the right time and so I was able to manage the car well in such wet conditions. Kazuki Nakajima.

Original article by BlogF1.

Silverstone 2008: Post-Race Quotes

Nelson Piquet Jr

Son of former world champion Nelson Piquet, Junior has grown up around motor racing. Initially living with his mother in Monaco, Nelson moved to Brazil to be with his father when his was still young. It was the time spent in Brazil, learning about the culture and language, that Nelson started to gain interest in his fathers previous job.

With substantial backing from Piquet Sr, Junior started competing and rose through the ranks like any other driver, occasionally receiving a helping hand from his dad (he set up a GP2 team). Eventually Piquet Jr found himself in a testing role at Renault, helping out regular drivers Kovalainen and Fisichella. Piquet Jr actually took this job from Heikki Kovalainen who was promoted himself in 2007. Piquet was similarly promised, allegedly, a race seat for 2008. And sure enough, Flavio Briatore promoted his new young driver and Piquet Jr partners double world champion Fernando Alonso this year.

It is unknown just how the young Brazilian will fair at Renault, Alonso having gained a reputation for being not the greatest of team mates. Perhaps it is wrong to judge a man’s character on one year, but if Alonso has succeeded in gaining number one status at Renault, this will not help Piquet in the slightest.

Of course, Nelson could blow the Spaniard away this year. After all, he only just missed out of the 2006 GP2 title to Lewis Hamilton who faired well in the McLaren during his maiden season. A lot of Piquet’s pace will also come down to the car. The R27 was a bit of a handful, and while it has surely improved, we won’t know exactly how good it is until qualifying in Melbourne.

Sebastien Bourdais

Sebastien is currently a world champion. His current trophy complements the other three he has on his mantelpiece. But for Bourdais though, the Champ Car World Series is not enough, and for a very long time the French driver has dreamed of adding the Formula One drivers trophy to his collection.

Bourdais has tested Formula One cars in the past, once with Arrows, who went under before Bourdais could be signed. His second test came with Renault, but contractual complications got in the way and Sebastien chose to remain in America. It is alleged that Bourdais’s Renault contract hinged on Flavio Briatore getting a signature on a management contract as well; something Sebastien did not want.

Not giving up though, Sebastien came over to Europe a few times last year to test with Scuderia Toro Rosso, and after a falling out with their current drivers, Gerhard Berger and Franz Tost signed the Frenchman for 2008. It seems strange that a CCWS world champion would sign for a midfield team, flying in the face of previous crossovers like Jacques Villeneuve and Juan Pablo Montoya who both joined Williams initially. But I feel this proves just how much Bourdais wants to be in Formula One. He’s completed CCWS and really there is only F1 left of the single-seater classes.

How will he fair? With difficulty. STR are starting the season with last year’s chassis, albeit modified to fit with the changes in regulations. The STR2 finished 2007 quite strong though; it was clear how Red Bull had improved the chassis during the season. And to top it all off, I have a feeling Sebastien could be spending a couple of seasons at STR before being promoted to Red Bull to replace David Coulthard. Which, if the master-plan goes accordingly, would be when they finally combine a reliable and fast car together.

Kazuki Nakajima

The second Japanese driver to grace the grid this year will be Nakajima, another child of a former Formula One driver. Unlike Piquet though, Nakajima purposefully distanced himself from his father during his progressive years in lower formulae. Instead of teaming up with Honda, as his father did, Kazuki signed for Toyota, the result being a drive for the Toyota-powered Williams in 2008.

Kazuki has already completed his first race though, driving in the Brazilian Grand Prix last year. Alex Wurz, the team’s full-time driver retired early, allowing Williams to fully assess Nakajima’s ability before waving a contract in front of his face. The cynic in me says that Wurz was asked to retire early in order for Kazuki to get some practice in, the Japanese driver I feel already having a contract in place thanks to pressures from Toyota.

Either way, Nakajima has already got the most difficult hurdle out of the way, and aside from running over his pit crew, Kazuki’s maiden race went quite well. His lap times were good, his control wasn’t bad. All in all, it wasn’t a bad effort, although being partnered to Nico Rosberg may put Nakajima in the shade a little. Williams have placed a lot of faith in Kazuki though, a decision I’m sure they wouldn’t have taken if they were unsure.

Timo Glock

Toyota have another new driver this season (aside from Nakajima in the Williams), but Timo Glock isn’t as fresh-faced as you might think. Back in 2004 the German driver raced for Jordan when Giorgio Pantano stepped aside. It was only one race, but Glock immediately showed decent pace in the under-powered car and, thanks to some disqualifications, actually scored points on his debut.

Timo returned to the same car for the remaining three races that year, although no more points came due to a slow down in the car’s development and less luck on his side. His performances though should have brought Timo a race drive for 2005, but alas it did not. Instead, Glock went to America to drive in the CCWS, enjoying moderate success and finishing the year in 8th.

A return to Europe in 2006 and participation in GP2 was the plan for Glock. With GP2 being the feeder series to Formula One, the plan was to have another crack at getting into motor sport’s pinnacle series. His first season was dominated by Lewis Hamilton and Nelson Piquet Jr, but Glock managed two wins and finished in fourth. In 2007, the title was his with four wins and an eleven point margin to his nearest rival. Glocks’s 2007 campaign was dove-tailed with testing duties with BMW, but towards the end of the year Toyota made an approach and Timo signed. There were some contractual complications involved, but BMW were eventually forced to let Glock go.

2008 will see the German’s second chance at competing in Formula One, and he really has to make it stick this time around. Few drivers are ever given a second chance, and although Timo perhaps didn’t deserve to be without a drive in 2005, he needs to make sure he has one for 2009. But with his previous experience and testing with BMW, Glock should hit the ground running. He’ll probably get thrashed in qualifying, team mate Jarno Trulli being quite spectacular over one lap. During the races though, Glock has every chance of challenging Trulli and taking the fight to his experienced team mate.

Original article by BlogF1.

F12008: The Rookies

The team truly are quite remarkable when you look back at their history. Officially debuting as Williams in 1978, Frank entered his cars in the Argentine Grand Prix and hasn’t really looked back since. In the last thirty seasons the team has seen some fantastic highs; seven drivers championships, nine constructors championships, 113 wins, 125 poles – all this in just 30 years. The team has given seats to some of the sport’s greatest drivers; Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, Ayrton Senna and Damon Hill to name just four of the most recent stars. Of course, with the highs come the lows, and while the 1994 season and subsequent legal issues could be considered as low as it could get for a team, their current performance drought must be grating on the competitive spirits found within the Grove factory.

Last year the team did well, tripling the points they scored in 2006. But 33 still isn’t a particularly high number and it was only thanks to McLaren’s disqualification that they managed to finish in fourth place in the constructors race. Alex Wurz managed to climb on to the podium in Canada and Nico Rosberg was a relatively consistent point scorer, particularly in the latter half of the season.

Over the winter saw rumours of a possibe investment and partial buyout from the Baugur Group, a company associated with Williams’s sponsor Hamleys. Nothing has come of these murmurings, but the speculation surrounding the future of the team ceases to go away, particularly while the team are partnered with Toyota. Williams use Toyota’s engines and rather embarrassingly for the factory team, got beaten by Team Willy last season (33 points to 13).

The Drivers

Williams’s 2007 driver Alex Wurz retired just prior to the finale of the season, so the team decided to promote their then-test driver Kazuki Nakajima to the race seat, likely with the long term plan to let Nakajima continue into 2008. The Japanese driver, son of former Formula One racer Satoru Nakajima, performed well at Interlagos in ‘07, and although he had a moment during his first F1-career pitstop, Kazuki drove reasonably well. Later in the year it was announced that Nakajima would indeed be driving for Williams for 2008, partnering Nico Rosberg whom the squad will be hoping will around for a good few years yet.

With no real prior Formula One experience to draw from, assessing Nakajima’s abilities is difficult. However, his testing form has improved substantially over the winter, even claiming the fastest lap at a recent session in Spain. Although initially his times appeared erratic these findings should be taken with a pinch of a salt. It could be that Nakajima was running a programme of practicing starts or pitstops, or testing out something on the car that doesn’t necessarily require flat-out performance. Needless to say that following the perceived improvement in the FW30 chassis a far few eyes are on Nakajima at the moment.

Continuing his partnership with the team that gave him his break in 2006, and also a son of a Formula One racer, Nico Rosberg has been running well in testing, generally edging out Kazuki and being a little more consistent. The German driver was mooted to be heading in the direction of Woking over the winter off season, with Fernando Alonso leaving a vacant seat at McLaren. A lot of teams are interested in Rosberg and Nico was probably the joint-favourite alongside Heikki Kovalainen for most of November and December. However, I’m fairly certain Frank Williams will not want to lose his star driver and held on to him tightly.

While there probably is a certain about of sentimentality between the two competitive spirits, Frank and Patrick really need to give Rosberg a decent car soon. It won’t be too long before Rosberg starts to realise that time is ticking and if he is to repeat Jacques Villeneuve’s and Damon Hill’s feat of becoming second generation world champions (oddly enough, both with Williams), he will need a car and team worthy of doing that. But future contemplations aside, remaining with Williams will certainly bolster the squad and keeping consistency with the lead driver while the second finds his feet is a wise move.

The Car

The FW30 has been running well in testing. The drivers have spoken of improved handling, despite the prohibition of electronic driver aids, and Rosberg has said that he feels more confident with the new chassis. This combined with a reasonably good Toyota engine could help push the squad closer to the tails of Renault and BMW. Unfortunately for the British team though, BMW have looked good and appear to on a storming run of consistent improvement at the moment, and Renault will have undoubtedly gained six tenths automatically just because Alonso is in the seat. These elements combined (I jest about the 0.6s by the way, but Renault will likely have improved over their 2007 form) will mean Williams are going to have to work hard at continually developing the FW30 chassis. It won’t be easy though for the Oxfordshire team, being the top real privateer squad and helping out their engine partner.

The Prediction

My heart says third, but my mind says fourth or fifth. I believe if Williams keep pace with developments, they should be able to hook onto the tail of the top four and resist the advances from Red Bull et al. I’m pretty confident they will once again beat Toyota, although this may not be in their best interests given that the Japanese factory team could leave the sport if they don’t start improving. All in all, I think 2008 will be a good year for Williams, and hopefully the start of a revival for the team that sparked my interest in the sport many years ago.

Original article by BlogF1.

F12008: Williams

It wasn’t all ecstatic screams of joy though, and despite the Grove-squad looking pretty handy at the moment the cluster of lap times are very close; only 0.748s separate Nakajima in first to Timo Glock in tenth, and Heikki Kovalainen looked menacing in second only 0.03s shy of the Japanese driver’s time. Pedro De La Rosa backed up the Finn in third and edged out fourth-placed Felipe Massa.

Nico Rosberg wound up in fifth, but only 0.1s down on his team mate highlighting just how tightly packed the leading drivers were today. Sixth and seventh went to Mark Webber and David Coulthard respectively, both drivers enjoying the drier weather and a more productive afternoon. Luca Badoer in the second Ferrari and Fernando Alonso ended their days in eighth and ninth with the Toyota of Glock rounding out the top ten.

The final three positions were settled to Nelson Piquet Jr in the sister Renault, Kamui Kobayashi in the sister Toyota and young Nico Hulkenberg in the Williams FW30 who ran in the morning before handing over to Nakajima after lunch.

With the weather being much better today in Spain, the teams used the time available to try out some race simulations with a lot of drivers going out for long runs, adapting the cars as they went and learning how they might handle over a race distance.

Barcelona Day Three Times

Original article by BlogF1.

Barcelona Test Day Three: Nakajima Outpaces Ferrari To Lead

Williams have enjoyed a good pre-season so far with their new FW30 and the car looks to be a good step forward for the private team. Nico Rosberg is pleased with the way the chassis has been developed and Kazuki Nakajima looks like a real talent who just needs experience. However, the past two days have been largely unproductive for the team and not getting the laps in will put the team back a little.

We had some issues with the wing, which we could not resolve during this test at short notice. We have decided to return to the factory, so we can put in place a solid solution for the Jerez test in a week’s time. Sam Michael.

However, Williams are confident that the issue will be resolved by next week in time for Jerez where they can resume their development programme prior to the season start in Australia in March.

I think we need to re-look at the issues back in the UK and prepare for Jerez. It was an overnight preparation [to prepare the wing], so we need more time and data. Barcelona is a very high speed, bumpy track and this wing issue became apparent on this type of circuit. We will aim to be okay for Jerez. Kazuki Nakajima.

Original article by BlogF1.

Williams Head Home Early To Solve Wing Issues

It took marshals 20 minutes to clear the wreckage and repair the barrier, after which testing resumed for the other teams. Nakajima stated to the media that the car suffered a technical problem when he got back to the pits, and Williams have since said that the issue surrounds the front wing mounts.

Kazuki had been developing the new 2008 Williams, and the team decided to not run team mate Nico Rosberg until they had ascertained exactly what happened and were sure the German wouldn’t have a similar problem with his car. Williams are repairing the chassis which suffered some serious damage to the front and they will be back in action for tomorrow.

Original article by BlogF1.

Kazuki Nakajima Walks Away From Big Accident

Our focus has been on performance as well as refining our packaging and weight distribution. We are designing a tidier car with a higher standard of build quality. The FW30 should represent a good step forward when all of the many small areas of attention and improvement are brought together in the overall package.

With four years of regulation stability, we have a good basis to be progressive about the development of this season’s car. With a good reliability record last year, we have been able to build on this quality while also turning some of our attention to clear performance objectives. Sam Michael.

Unfortunately, the new car has been damaged already with young test driver Nico Hulkenberg entrusted with the first run of the machine. The German went off the track after 20 laps and the floor has been knocked about a fair bit. The team will need to make the necessary repairs this evening in order for regular drivers Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima to take over testing duties for the remainder of the test.

Hulkenberg managed to lap the Valencia circuit in 1m14.559s, while Fernando Alonso went out in the new Renault R28 after the fog had lifted and completed 39 laps en-route to a 1m13.027s.

Photographs Of The FW30

Original article by BlogF1.

Williams FW30: More Information & Photos

Nico Hulkenberg, the teams new test driver, cruised out on to the cold Spanish tarmac and completed one installation lap in the new FW30 before the circuit was closed by the clerk. The fog had descended and visibility was dangerously low. It is expected to clear for this afternoon when Williams will run again, but for now, Sir Frank’s shiny new motor rest silently on its jacks.

The team are also running the second of the commemorative liveries today, celebrating some landmark moments that should be achieved this year, most notably the teams thirtieth season in the sport. The liveries are very retro in look, heralding the days when Williams were leading the field with the all powerful Fords and Renaults bolted to the back of the wonderful sculptured chassis. This particular fashion is meant as a hank you to all the Williams staff and supporters, with a message to that effect emblazoned on the rear wing end panels.

I for one sincerely hope Williams chose the dark blue over the white and keep with this beautiful colour scheme. And aside from that wish, there is very little else to say about this launch. The others so far have taken up two or three posts, but the Grove team barely manage a handful of paragraphs from me. More information on the FW30 will become known soon, and its performance will be analysed against the others this week as they complete the test at Valencia.

Original article by BlogF1.

Williams FW30: Launch & Photos

I am delighted to confirm that Nico will be racing for the team for his third consecutive year after demonstrating impressive and widely applauded form in 2007. Nico will be ably partnered by Kazuki, who has impressed the team over the past year. He has pace and the right aptitude to develop into a competitive Formula One racer and over the course of the next season, we will provide him with all the necessary support and assistance to hone his talents. Frank Williams.

I am very grateful to Toyota for the support I have had through the programme and to Williams for the team’s faith in me. There is plenty of work to be done before next season starts, but I am resolved to do whatever is necessary and to show Williams and Toyota that they have made a good investment. Kazuki Nakajima.

Toyota must be pleased, having finally managed to get a Japanese driver into one of their cars (Williams are privately owned, but use Toyota engines) and this announcement quells any speculation about Nakajima driving for the Toyota factory team. Where that leaves the Cologne-based team is anyone’s guess, but I doubt they would have made this decision without fully knowing who they will be running next year. Hopefully a decision from Toyota will be forthcoming soon.

Update: Apparently Timo Glock has signed a contract to race for Toyota next year, but because it clashes with his BMW testing duties, the issue has gone to the Contract Recognition Board to sort out.

Original article by BlogF1.

Nico Rosberg & Kazuki Nakajima Confirmed At Williams

You cannot assess a driver’s capability on the basis of one race but this is an ideal opportunity to develop Kazuki’s experience. I am confident he will approach the race in a very workmanlike and focused way. Frank Williams.

I am very grateful to the team who have given me this opportunity. I hope I now know the car very well and thankfully have done some Friday driving as recently as Shanghai. This is a chance I intend to grab with both hands and repay the faith the team are showing in me with a strong performance. Kazuki Nakajima.

With Ralf Schumacher leaving Toyota at the end of the year, there are two seats still available in the experienced mid-field teams, as well as one at Renault currently as Flavio Briatore is yet to announce his pairing, likely waiting on Fernando Alonso’s decision. There are a few drivers itching to progress up the ranks in Formula One, Nelson Piquet Jr, Adrian Sutil and Timo Glock to name just three. With Nico Rosberg now no longer considered a rookie, he would do well to be partnered with a young-gun in the Williams who can push him further and keep him on his toes.

Williams are currently being challenged in the constructors championship by Red Bull Racing, as a late surge in points has narrowed the gap between the two teams. Williams currently stand on 28 points in 4th position, while Red Bull have closed up with 24 points in 5th. The final race in Brazil will be important, not just for the drivers title, but also for the smaller teams all vying for that last advantage in the constructors. With a rookie driver competing in his first race, you have to ask why Williams didn’t try harder to keep Wurz around for one more meeting, if anything for consistencies sake.

Formula One, F1, Kazuki Nakajima, Williams

Original article by BlogF1.

Kazuki Nakajima To Race In Brazil

I would today like to announce my retirement from active racing in Formula One. I would like to thank my family and fans, everyone at AT&T Williams and my previous teams, as well as the media, for all of their support during my Formula One racing career.

In such a hard fought environment as Formula One, I have always maintained that if you have a moment’s doubt about what you are doing, then it is time to stop. Privately I began to have these thoughts earlier this year and so have decided that now is the time to make my announcement. Racing this season has been a real pleasure, especially securing the podium in Canada which was pretty sweet along with a number of other strong races, but now it is time to call it a day. I’d like to thank the team for accepting my decision and I wish them all the best for the last race of the year. Alex Wurz.

Alex has been generally outpaced this year by his younger and lesser-experienced team mate Nico Rosberg, and the Austrian driver has been struggling with qualifying. Although the experienced tester managed a podium at the Canadian Grand Prix, his season has been overshadowed by Rosberg’s. Despite this though, team boss Frank Williams had some kind words to say for his former driver.

Alex has made an invaluable contribution to the team for the past two years, first as one of the best test and development drivers the team has ever worked with, and more recently as a race driver. This season Alex has had some very strong drives in difficult circumstances and we would like to thank him for all he has contributed. Alex is well known, immensely popular and widely regarded as one of Formula One’s gentlemen. I am sure I speak for everyone in the paddock when I wish Alex and his family the very best for the future. Frank Williams.

Williams have Kazuki Nakajima on their books, and the Japanese driver has competed in GP2 this year as well as performing some man-Friday tasks as and when he was available. The Grove team are yet to announce who will race in Brazil, but Nakajima must be crossing his fingers right now. Another driver who has been linked to the 2008 seat is current Renault tester Nelson Piquet Jr. Like Nico, Nico is also a son of a former World Champion and it is possible that Renault might let him race for a year with another before recruiting him back to race with more experience with Renault.

Williams are expected to make an announcement tomorrow.

Formula One, F1, Alex Wurz, Williams, Kazuki Nakajima, Nelson Piquet Jr

Original article by BlogF1.

Wurz Brings Retirement Forward